Waistband for garments



S. E. AXLER WAISTBAND FOR GARMENTS Filed Dec. 12; 1949 INVENTOR. SAM/4 1.. AM. 5/?

HTTOIZ/VEV Patented Oct. 10, 1950 'UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE WAISTBAND FOR cAnMENrs 1 Samuel E. Axler, Denver, Colo. 7 Application December 12, 1949,; Serial No. 132,511

2 Claims. (Cl. 2 221) This invention relates to a waistband construction for skirts and similar garments, and has for its principal object the provision of a waistband which may expand to accommodate waists of larger sizes and to provide a snug-fitting waistband at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expansible waistband in which the expansible features and the degree of expansion of the band will be entirely concealed.

A'further object is to provide a skirt construction in which a single piece of material will act to form a pocket, atunnel belt loop, and a covering for the elastic or expansible portions of the waistband. v

' Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a front view of the upper portion of a skirt, with the improved waistband construction incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the upper portion of an elastic member ll having a width substantially equal to the width of the waistband member [4. The inside edges of the elastic members I! are secured to the opposite sides of the front panel ID- by-;means of the stitching of the seams I2 Therefore, when theskirt is in place, the elastic portions I! will maintain thefront panel In tight and smooth across the front of the skirt;

will accommodate all flexations of the wearer; and will maintain the waistband tight and smooth at alltimes.

waistband to expand sufficientlyto accommodate several sizes larger than the normal size of the the skirt of Fig. 1, illustrating the rear flaps of the skirt opened to expose the inner face of the expansible portion of the waistband;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, inside view of a p rtion of the improved waistband construction, with a concealing tab released and lifted to expose the elastic or expanding material; and

Fig. 4 is a similar outside view with the concealing tab released and turned back to expose the expanding portion.

In the drawing, the upper portion of a skirt is illustrated having a front panel In stitched to side panels II by means of vertical seams l2. The front panel Ill extends upwardly to the top of the waist of the skirt, thence. is folded inwardly and downwardly to form an inside depending flap or fold I3. The side panels ll terminate in waistband members M which are joined at the back of the skirt by means of any suitable fastening device, such as a button l5 and buttonhole [6. The side panels may be joined at the back of the skirt in any desired manner, such as by means of a vertical seam 20 and a Slide fastener 2 I.

The waistband members l4 each terminate in The material of the side panels H is cut with excess width. This excess width is taken up in gathers [8 which are pleated over each other and stitched to the lower edge of the elastic members IT, as indicated at I9, Fig. 5. This provides sufficient excess material in the side panels to accommodate the maximum expansion of the elastic members I1.

The above-described expansible or elastic waistband construction would not present a sufiicient ornamental appearance, due to the exposure of the gathers or tucks l8 and the elastic members H. In this improved skirt construction, however, all of the gathers, tucks, and elastic members are entirely and attractively concealed, regardless of the degree of expansion or contraction. This is accomplished by stitching two patch pockets 22 on the front of the skirt over the side panels II and slightly overlapping each side of the front panel II] by means of U-shaped lines of stitching 21.

The pockets 22 terminate at their tops in relatively long flaps which extend upwardly over the waist portion of the skirt to form open tunnel belt loops 23. The flaps are then folded inwardly and downwardly over the inside of the waist portion to form concealing tabs 24. The concealing tabs 24 are secured by a single point of stitching 25. This single point of stitching attaches the tab 24 at only one point and at approximately the middle of the elastic member I! so that when the latter is stretched, the stitching is not interfered with, and the flaps 24 will be maintained accurately centered over the elastic member at all times.

The flap portions 23 and 24 are relatively narrower than the pockets 22 so as to provide a cutback hand entrance 26 at each side to the pockets. The stitching 21 at th outer sides of the pockets There is sufficient stretch or elasticity' in the elastic members I! to allow the terminates well below the waist portion. This accomplishes two purposes, first, it allows ample space for the hand opening 26, and it prevents interference with the sideward movement of the upper portion of the panels II relative to the center panel [0.

It will be noted that the improved waistband stays tight and snug about the users Waist at all times so as to. maintain tight, snug engagement with the skirt of 'the usersblouse to prevent the latter from pulling away from the skirt.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated'herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied; within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patentlis:

1. A waist construction for garments comprising: a front center garment panel terminating at the waist of thev garment; an elastic member secured to each side of the upper extremity of said front panel; a waistband secured to each elastic member and extending around the sides and back of the waist; gathers in the garment terminating at and secured to said elastic members; and a co'ncealingmember secured to the front of; the garment below said elastic members andiextendingupw-ardly over the front portion of the latter, thence extending downwardly over the rear thereof, the downwardly extending portions being secured-to saidelastic members at a single point, adjacent the'middle of the latter, the lower front portions of said concealing members being secured to the front of the garment by sub- 5 Number stantially U-shaped stitching to form a patch pocket on said garment.

2. A waist construction for garments comprising: a front center garment panel terminating at the waist of the garment; an elastic member secured to each side of the upper extremity of said front panel; a waistband secured to each elastic member and extending around the sides and back of the waist; gathers in the garment terminating: at and securedl'to said elastic members; patch pockets, stitching securing each patch pocket to the front of the garment below one of said elastic members, said stitching terminating; below the elastic member; a tunnel belt loop extending upwardly from each patch pocket over theforward face of one of said elastic portions andover the forward faces of the gathers secured to said elastic member; and a concealiIlg: fia'p extending from each tunnel belt loop inwardly and downwardly over the inner face of each elastic portion and its associatedgathers.

- ,SAMUEL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

" UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Datev Adams Feb; 15 I876 Shauer s Mar. 3, 1896 Number F OREIGN PATENTS Country Date 419,262 7 Great Britain Nov. 8,1934

Freedman July 16,; 1935; 

